Hadith Books

Fiqh-us Sunnah

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Volume 002, Supererogatory Prayer, Fiqh 2.042.

Section : The "ayyah of prostration".

There are fifteen places in the Qur'an at which one is to prostrate. 'Amr ibn al-'Aas relates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam recited fifteen 'ayyat of prostration in the Qur'an, three coming from the Mufassal and two from surah al-Hajj. This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, and ad-Daraqutni. Al-Munzhiri and an-Nawawi say it is hasan. The fifteen 'ayyat are:

1. "Lo! Those who are with thy Lord are not too proud to do Him service, but they praise Him and prostrate to Him" (al-A'raf 206).

2. "And unto Allah falls prostrate whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows in the morning and the evening hours" (ar-Ra'd 15).

3. "And unto Allah does whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth of living creatures make prostration, and the angels (also) and they are not proud" (an-Nahl 49).

4. "Say: Believe therein or believe not, lo! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is read unto them, they fall down prostrate on their faces, adoring" (al-lsra' 107).

5. "When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they prostrated, adoring and weeping" (Maryam 58).

6. "Haven't you seen that unto Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah scorns, there is none to give him honor. Lo! Allah does what he wills" (al-Hajj 18).

7. "O you who believe, bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do good, that you may prosper" (al-Hajj 77).

8. "And when it is said unto them: 'Prostrate unto the Beneficent,' they say: 'And what is the Beneficent'? Are we to prostrate to whatever you bid us?' And it increases aversion in them" (al-Furqan 60).

9. "So they prostrate not to Allah! [He] who brings forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth. And He knows what you hide and what you proclaim" (an-Naml 25).

10. "Only those who believe in Our revelations who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and hymn the praise of their Lord and who are not scornful" (as-Sajdah 15).

11. "And David guessed that we had tried him, and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he bowed himself and fell down prostrate and repented" (Sad 24).

12. "And of His portents are the night and the day and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun or the moon, but prostrate unto Allah who created them, if it is Him you worship" (Ha-Mim 37).

13. "Rather prostrate before Allah and serve Him" (an-Najm 62).

14. "And, when the Qur'an is recited unto them, they do not prostrate (unto Allah)" (al-Inshiqaq 21).